Ocean Medicine. Community Connection.

Waves of Grief™ fosters community on the ocean's shores to reduce the feelings of isolation and loneliness that accompany grief and loss. The ocean is our source of healing, connection and flow.

In community, we continue to find meaning that helps us keep leaning into the world after loss, to keep moving waves of grief through the psyches of our bodies — to integrate it and carry it in a way that no longer makes us feel broken.

Waves of Grief Collective™ was founded on the principle that all beings deserve compassion, connection, and someone to bear witness to their stories. We meet individuals with humility and compassion, who are seeking inclusive, authentic and caring communities in, with, by and for the ocean.

Providing a framework of accessible and credible eco-therapy models, we inspire others to channel resilience, sensitivity, joy, creativity, healing and wisdom in reciprocal relationship with the natural world.  

Using Blue Mind concepts in the ocean and in community, facilitators are encouraged to take authority of their own individual healing process in order to optimize the inherent gifts they carry — their medicine.

The Waves of Grief™ Facilitator Retreat was created to provide an opportunity for facilitators, their children and families to focus on their own healing journeys, strengthen family bonds and team build through sharing stories, embodiment practices, ocean/surf therapy, adventure, play and being of service, all while increasing personal resources using mindfulness practices and being in living relationship with nature.

Grief Retreats 2024

Our body’s efforts to bear the weight of grief and loss are often overlooked or ignored and yet studies have shown that grief can affect the immune system, the ability to tolerate physical pain, inflammation, and may even worsen pre-existing conditions. Grief is a physical as well as an emotional state and by fully attuning to our somatic experience of grief, we can move more fluidly towards healing and integration.

As providers, we know that caregiver burnout is real and those of us who hold space for grievers must pay extra close attention to our own internal processes, listen to our bodies, allow feelings to arise and move through us and make time for self-care, in order to provide a safe container for others.

This restorative retreat offers a safe space to explore the ebb and flow of grief through healing movement both in and out of the water, fostering ballast and broadening our capacity for creativity and leadership. Our workshops are inclusive and welcoming to anyone who has experienced grief and loss, of all ages and skill levels. Understanding that grief is a lifelong journey and is not linear or finite, we offer compassion, community, embodiment practices and useful tools in a safe and supportive container.

Healing in Community

Set in a tropical paradise, surrounded by the natural beauty of Costa Rica and the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean, we’ll spend 6 days together integrating this embodied approach to tending our grief. We will embrace the waves together, both literally and figuratively, holding space for each other and rooting each other on — we’ll use ocean play as a metaphor for moving through grief and experiencing joy, wonder and awe all at the same time.

The Waves of Grief™ Facilitator Retreat is an opportunity to rest and recharge, build community, create new bonds and strengthen old ones, share stories of grief, joy and praise, witness each other and learn from one another, play, dance, surf and make beautiful memories with family and friends.

In community, we continue to find meaning that helps us keep leaning into the world after loss, to keep moving waves of grief through the psyches of our bodies — to integrate it and carry it in a way that no longer makes us feel broken.

Come prepared to laugh and play, cry and release, connect and move, heal your heart and celebrate love, life and family in this beautifully wild and free surfer’s paradise.

Grief Retreats 2024

Click here to read guest reviews from past TwoCan Retreats!

Grief Retreat Costa Rica

Your Facilitators

Kelsey Ellis

Kelsey Ellis is the founder of Waves of Grief Collective™, a community of leading surf therapy practitioners, healers and humans working together to reduce the feelings of isolation and loneliness that accompany grief and loss. 

Kelsey began hosting community Waves of Grief™ surf therapy support groups after the sudden loss of her twin sister Audrey to COVID-19 complications in March of 2020. Waves of Grief™ programs are rooted in ritual, nature, and community building therapy models to best support holistic healing.Her work has been recognized in National Geographic's IMPACT series and most recently by the US Surgeon General. 

Kelsey’s professional background lies in facilitating expressive art therapy programs for trauma recovery. She is Program Manager for Josie's Place, where she leads grief training and offers bereavement support for children and families in the San Francisco Bay Area. Collectively her personal and professional experiences have further fueled her passion for building community through creative heart-centered gatherings near the ocean and in nature.

For more information on Kelsey’s personal grief journey and background, click here.

Michelle Q. Slavik

Michelle Queano Slavik is a trained surf therapy provider with a background in building infrastructure and integrated systems to deliver much needed medicine to underserved communities across the globe.

As co-founder of the Waves of Grief Collective™ and the new nonprofit, Oceanflow Collective™, Michelle’s professional and personal experiences have aligned with her passion for healing, rekindling a sacred relationship to nature, and creating spaces supportive of loss and trauma among individuals seeking inclusive, authentic and caring communities in/with/by/for blue spaces, like the ocean and it’s virtual shore.

Michelle has supported Waves of Grief™ programming for US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, the surf therapy community at ISTO (International Surf Therapy Organization), and along with Hydrotheory and TwoCan Retreats, has expanded the Waves of Grief™ community to Southern California, Hawaii, and Costa Rica!

When Michelle takes her surfboard into the water, she does it for herself and her two boys in honor of her late husband, Luke, but she also paddles out for others grieving their losses.

For more information on Michelle’s personal grief journey and background, click here.

Stacy McCrory

Grief tender, joy seeker, group faciltator, founder of TwoCan Retreats and Clinical Advisor/Regional Director for the Waves of Grief Collective,™ Stacy is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in private practice in Santa Barbara, CA, providing guidance and support to individuals, couples and families going through major life transitions, healing from trauma, grief and loss. Stacy empowers her clients to be embodied, practice mindfulness and compassion for themselves and others, connect with nature, experience awe and make meaning in their lives.

In 2021, Stacy pursued specialized training in mindfulness and self-compassion, psychedelic-assisted therapy, grief and loss and conscious dying, becoming an end-of life doula, and studying with Francis Weller and other soul activists throughout 2023 and continuing into 2024.

She is a member of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s (NHPCO) ‘End-of-Life Doula Council, where she provides volunteer grief support to clients virtually, and serves as Clinical Advisor/Regional Director for the acclaimed Waves of Grief Collective™

At home in Santa Barbara, Stacy enjoys co-facilitating community Waves of Grief™ circles at the beach with her husband Mike, in proud partnership with the acclaimed and hosting regular potlucks at their home with friends, singing together around the fire.

For more information on Stacy’s personal grief journey and background, click here.

J’aime Morrison

Dr. J’aime Morrison is a Professor of Movement at California State University, Northridge and she holds a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from New York University. She is a faculty Fulbright Scholar in Movement. Dr. Morrison has taught Master Classes in Dance and Movement in Lisbon, Shanghai, Dublin, Belfast, London, Los Angeles and New York City.

A dancer, choreographer, educator and most recently a filmmaker, she is an expert in movement, physical expression and somatic studies. With Mourning Surf, she turns her attention to grief and the body, specifically how grief is expressed physically and how movement is an essential part of the grieving and healing process.

After losing her beloved husband Jim to brain cancer in 2015, J’aime began working on a short film titled Upwell, which composes a visual intersection of body movements to translate her experience with grieving, illustrating the role of both dance and surfing in her journey. The film has been an Official Selection at numerous film festivals and won “Best Experimental Film” from The Santa Barbara International Fine Art Film Festival and the California International Shorts Film Festival and was awarded “Outstanding Excellence” in “Direction” and “Original Concept” at the Depth of Field International Film Festival.

For more information on J’aime’s personal grief journey and background, click here.

Grief Retreat Costa Rica

Beautiful Costa Rica

Costa Rica is world-renowned as a place that is not only rich in beauty, but is actually good for your well-being. In fact, it was awarded Best International Health Destination in 2021. Costa Rica has some of the world’s best beaches, tropical rainforests and national parks with a diversity of flora and fauna that would astound any nature lover. The country is famous for its eco-tourism, which leads the world in its efforts to protect the environment.

The shoreline of Nicoya Peninsula encompasses a number of beautiful beaches, serving up unspoiled beauty and a natural charm that gives a unique character to the region and makes it a hot spot for surfers, nature lovers, conservationists and eco-adventurers alike.

Where Pura Vida is a way of life.

Santa Teresa is a charming little bohemian surf town known for its laid-back lifestyle, white sand beaches, year-round surf and Pura Vida vibes, where the community comes together each day to pause, take in the sunset, and be grateful for another day. The beaches are beautiful and uncrowded, the ocean warm and inviting. Close by are the natural tide pools in Malpais, a breathtaking secret beach and Montezuma Waterfall to name just a few of the many opportunities you’ll have to experience the awe and delight of this incredible jungle paradise.

Embody your grief and restore your soul in this incredible corner of the world, flanked by a warm ocean and lush jungle teeming with wildlife. Looking for a Grief Retreat Costa Rica where you can relax, make space for your own grief and celebrate this beautiful life we all share. There’s simply no better place to connect and play in the water together!

Grief Retreat Costa Rica

Personalized Service

TwoCan Retreats is known for the “5-star” level of service they provide to their retreat guests. Mike and Stacy are always on hand, ready to see to your needs, from the moment you land in Costa Rica to the day you say farewell (and beyond).

Providing a level of service not seen anywhere short of the most exclusive resorts, be cared for like family on your Costa Rica adventure with TwoCan Retreats.

Don’t just take our word for it, read reviews submitted by past TwoCan Retreats guests by clicking here.

All-Inclusive Package Price:

$1722-$2745 per person*

*Price is dependent on accommodations. Scroll down for room descriptions.

We Make Getting Here Easy

Included in your package price is a round-trip VIP air charter on Carmon Air/Costa Rica Green Airways, which will take you from San Jose Airport to a smaller local airport, located a short drive from Santa Teresa. This convenient 25-minute flight eliminates the 4-5 hour drive from the San Jose airport to Santa Teresa. 

Upon arrival at San Jose Airport you will be greeted by Carmon Air representatives and escorted to the domestic terminal to meet your private charter flight that passes over Tortuga Island in the Gulf of Nicoya before arriving at your destination.

Upon landing, you will be welcomed by TwoCan staffers who will transport you on a scenic drive through the lush Costa Rican countryside to your hotel, Casa MarBella, which has been reserved exclusively for the Waves of Grief™ Facilitator Retreat in order to create a safe container during your stay.

TwoCan Retreats is proud to partner with Carmon Air/Costa Rica Green Airways, a Costa Rican family-owned airline committed to Costa Rica’s environmental stewardship.

Grief Retreats 2024

What’s Included

• Round-trip domestic air-charter on Carmon Air/Costa Rica Green Airways, which will take you from San Jose Airport (SJO) to a small airport located a short drive from Santa Teresa

• Airport transfer and all ground transportation needs provided for the duration of your stay 

• 5 nights private accommodations at Casa MarBella, Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

• In-room safe and overnight guard on premises

• Daily embodiment/movement, guided meditations and/or restorative self-care practices

• 3 surf therapy sessions, including our signature Waves of Grief™ Ritual & Paddle Out (including gear), along with other ocean/surf safety and surf therapy experiences

• 3rd Annual Plastic Free July Beach Cleanup in collaboration with Nicoya Peninsula Waterkeeper and Operation Rich Coast

• Daily breakfast w/coffee, tea, and juice

• 3 delicious, healthy lunches and 3 dinners (including closing dinner)

• Special Closing Sunset Dinner with stunning ocean view at the mouthwatering Brukas Restaurant

What’s NOT included:

• International flights to/from Costa Rica

• 1 lunch and 2 dinners on your own (cook at home, order in or go out nearby)

• Tips for hotel/restaurant staff

• Travel insurance

Grief Retreat Costa Rica

Sample Itinerary*

Saturday, 7/20:

• 1:00 - Arrive at San Jose Airport (SJO) Domestic Terminal for flight to the Nicoya Peninsula w/the group

• 2:00 - Arrive at Tambor/Cobano Airport from SJO

• 3:00 - Check-in at Casa Marbella

• 4:00 - Welcome Reception & Swim

• 6:00 - Dinner

• 7:00 - Opening Circle

Sunday, 7/21:

• 7:30 - Breakfast

• 9:00 - 3rd Annual Plastic Free July Beach Cleanup in collaboration with Nicoya Peninsula Waterkeeper and Operation Rich Coast.

• 11:30 - Lunch

• 12:30 - Ocean Safety

• 1:00 - Ocean Medicine: Surf Session

• 3:00 - Free time (rest, pool, massage)

• 6:00 - Dinner

• 7:30 - Expressive art, movement, play or other restorative embodiment practice

Monday, 7/22:

• 7:30 - Breakfast

• 9:00 - Ocean Medicine: Surf Session

• 12:00 - Lunch

• 1:00 - Free time (rest, pool, massage, beach)

• 4:00 - Expressive art, movement, play or other restorative practice

• 6:00 - Dinner

Tuesday, 7/23:

• 7:30 - Breakfast

• 9:00 - Group Excursion to Montezuma (Waterfalls/Pools, Lunch, Artisan Shopping, Beach/Tidepools)

• 6:00 - Dinner

Wednesday, 7/24:

• 7:30 - Breakfast

• 9:00 - Ocean Medicine: Waves of Grief™ Ritual & Paddle Out

• 12:00 - Lunch

• 3:00 - Expressive art, movement, play or other restorative practice

• 5:30 - Special Sunset Dinner at Brukas

Thursday, 7/25:

• 7:30 - Breakfast

• 9:00 - Closing Circle: Gratitudes and Well Wishes

• 11:00 - Check-out/Shuttle to Airport

• 12:00 - Depart Tambor/Cobano Airport for SJO

*Itinerary and activities are subject to change.

Accommodations

Casa MarBella in Santa Teresa, where the jungle meets the sea.

Your luxury boutique hotel, reserved exclusively for the Waves of Grief™ retreat, Casa MarBella offers an intimate and unforgettable experience with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. Perched on a hillside amidst the jungle and above the hustle and bustle of town, a short walk to restaurants and the beach.

The hotel is essentially one grand villa with fourteen private or shared rooms, most with ocean views, surrounding an infinity pool and Jacuzzi. There’s also a beautiful ocean view yoga deck.

Enjoy watching wildlife in their natural habitat without leaving the hotel. You’ll see howler monkeys, iguanas, and a variety of bird species inhabiting the surrounding jungle, which is centrally located and within walking distance to stores and some of the more notable restaurants in the area. Most importantly, you can walk to the beach in 5 minutes.

Casa MarBella makes a conscious effort to protect the environment by recycling, composting, collecting rain water, using biodegradable soaps and cleaners, installing energy saving light bulbs, and hiring local workers. The hotel utilizes a water softener and UV purifier, making the tap water safe to drink while reducing plastic consumption.

Room Descriptions

2 Standard Rooms w/partial ocean view

These are ocean view rooms with soundproof windows and doors, A/C, 1 queen bed, 1 twin bed, private bathroom, and small fridge. The room overlooks the infinity pool and accommodates up to two people.

Private Room - Single: $2445 / Double: $3445

2 Standard Rooms w/Kitchenette & ocean/pool view

These premium ocean view rooms are the only completely private rooms with soundproof windows and doors, A/C, a king-size bed, private bathroom, and a convenient kitchenette. Each room overlooks the infinity pool and accommodates a single person.

Private Room - Single: $2645 / Double: $3645

The Suites — Two 2 Bedroom/1 Bath Apartments with full kitchen

The Suites are small apartments that offer more space and privacy than the Standard Rooms. Each apartment has two bedrooms, a full kitchen and a private balcony off of the larger bedroom with a beautiful ocean view. Each bedroom has a King bed, A/C, with a shared connecting bathroom. The apartment accommodates two people. The infinity pool is one step out the door.

Jungle view Queen - Single: $2045

Ocean view King w/private balcony Single: $2445 / Double: $3445

The Luxury Condos — Two 3 Bedroom/2 Bath Condos with full kitchen

The Condos span two levels for a total of 1500 square feet each, offering the most space and privacy of all Casa MarBella’s rooms. Each condo comes with three bedrooms, cathedral ceilings, A/C, two bathrooms, a large fully-equipped kitchen, and a spacious private ocean view terrace just a few steps away from the infinity pool.

Rooms in the condos are either private or shared and can accommodate up to five people.

Condo 1

1. Ocean view King w/shared bathroom Single: $2445 / Double: $3445

2. Jungle view Queen and shared bathroom Single: $2145

3. 2 Twin Beds w/ocean view and private bathroom Double: $3345

Condo 2

4. King Bed w/ocean view and shared bathroom Single: $2445 / Double: $3445

5. 2 Twin Beds w/jungle view and shared bathroom Double: $2745

6. Ocean view King w/private bathroom Single: $2745 / Double: $3745

Rooms 1 & 4 (lower level): One large bedroom with king bed, large windows and ocean view. Both rooms share a bathroom w/shower.

Rooms 2 & 5 (lower level): One smaller bedroom with queen bed (Condo 1) or two twin beds (Condo 2) and jungle view. Both rooms share a bathroom w/shower.

Rooms 3 & 6 (upper level): One large master bedroom with one King OR two twin beds, private bathroom, large windows and ocean view (up a steep staircase).

Grief Retreats 2024

Reservations:

• Deposit to hold your spot: $1000 due at booking.

• Balance of trip package price due by 05/20/2024.

Cancellation Policy:

• Full refund, less $500 cancellation fee, for cancellations requested by 04/20/2024.

• 50% refund for cancellations requested by 05/20/2024.

• No refunds after 05/20/2024 — Unless…

1. YOU are able to transfer your retreat package to another qualified person.

2. WE are able to sell your package to another qualified person.

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